Midlands Review of Cry of the Magpie
midlandsmovies • October 8, 2020
Cry of The Magpie
Directed by Anthony Michael Tracy-Winson
2020
Mr Stitch Films
Lurid fashion and dark suburban psycho-drama abound in Cry of the Magpie, a new 70s-inspired film from Midlands writer-director Anthony Michael Tracy-Winson.
Originally shot in 2018 in Nottingham, the director has split his feature into a 4-part online series and the film introduces us to Elizabeth Pike (Tiffany Ellen Robinson) who is released from a psychiatric hospital after 15 years.
She has finally admitted that a crime she witnessed never actually happened and so is handed into the custody of her older sister Margaret (Sarah Ellis). Returning to their childhood home, Elizabeth appears withdrawn and having trouble adjusting to her new life, but are there more sinister forces lurking in this suburban home.
Set in the 1970s, the director has brilliantly captured the look and feel of the period. With the film in a 3:4 television ratio and the grainy shots colour graded to muted brown and burgundy, it looks as if it comes straight from that era. And this great stylistic choice really sells the atmosphere - whilst the colour palette is helped by appropriate decade-specific fashion and the use of old vehicles and background props.
Set in a suburban home it nods to the “Domestic Gothic” of the 70s films from Amicus Productions. Unlike the similar UK-horror company Hammer films, Amicus’s movies were usually set in the present. And Cry of The Magpie explores this seedy side of domestic life too.
The house itself is an amazing recreation of gaudy home furnishings and patterned wallpaper. Apparently the director himself redecorated the location in a 70s style and again, it all feeds superbly into the tone of the film.
As the story continues Elizabeth has a creepy run-in with a Mr. Anderson (the gardener) as well as entering a state of paralysis to which the doctor recommends a bath to help.
With films like Matthew Holness’ Possum and Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria, there’s been plenty of nods to the classic horrors of that decade recently. And this film uses similar slow zooms, eerie organ sounds and a few stairwell and dinner table nods to movies like The Shining to capture the same unnerving ambiance.
Ending on a spooky encounter, the film freeze frames for the credits leaving the audience with a mysterious cliff-hanger for the next instalment.
With lots to recommend, the film’s best aspect is its very unique style. Spot-on in every aspect of its tone, I felt the production design and wardrobe were a glorious delight. It has a slow but measured pace, which fits with the mood of the time, and there’s a real sense of intrigue into this dark domestic environment. Much like our lead, the film in the end makes its audience revisit something familiar but also keeps us on the edge for more terror in this excellently made house of horrors.
Michael Sales
As part of our Midlands on the Move features, we speak to Carl Staples, a Midlands storyboarder and filmmaker with a wide range of regional experience who went on to be involved in the Oscar-winning short film The Silent Child. Find out more about Carl's work...
Our resident local film critic @_jacob.holmes headed off beyond the region's boundaries to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints for first timers, as he provides a guide for local filmmakers and film fans as to what to expect when visiting events further afield... In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.
Developed as part of the anthology, Serial, Royston Vale Road is a slight, comedy-heavy, found footage short directed by Chris Annable, co-owner of the Straight to Video movie memorabilia and tape store in Alfreton.
Dead on Distribution tries to tackle a lot in its brief 17-minute runtime. Taking place just as the VHS market was starting to boom, flooding shelves with low budget horrors, the film satirises the prevailing thoughts of the time.